Shia LaBeouf streams heartbeat for SXSW art project

Shia LaBeouf is streaming his heartbeat live on the Internet as part of a new art project at the South by Southwest festival in Texas.

The actor is wearing a heart monitor during his time at the event in Austin this week and the beat is being transmitted online via a website.

Fans are able to monitor him 24 hours a day for the Follow My Heart project and guess his emotions from the beat pattern.

During a panel discussion devoted to the project, LaBeouf says, “Every time my heart rate goes up, I’ll stop, breathe and focus on getting my heartrate lower numerically. I’ve had panic attacks throughout most of my life, whether it’s at work or whether I’ve been drinking heavy. I haven’t had that for a while, and this is a constant reminder to stay at a constant numerical place to find peace.”

The actor adds in a statement, “When people say, ‘Listen to your heart,’ they are urging us to turn in to the loving side of our selves… Like cats have whiskers, we too are born with a guidance system: our heart. It is our inner GPS, our map, and our guide. It promises to lead us down the path of maximum fulfillment.”